Question Number: 17338

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 10/15/2007

RE: Competive Under 15

Joel of Fallbrook, California USA asks...

why is that when i slide tackle another kid cleanly and the kid is smaller than i, the kid goes flying and i get carded even though i have done nothing wrong in the slide tackle

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Joel,
you can not slide tackle a kid it must be a slide tackle for the ball and done in a way where the kid is not taken for a sleigh ride on the end of your feet, legs or body as it carries on through. You claim you have done nothing wrong but the referee disagrees.

You could have a valid point perhaps the referee had a poor view or his foul recognition is not real sharp. The thing is it does not matter the referee in your match at that time is the decider of slide tackles and he thinks yours smell funny. It is a match condition and you need to NOT slide tackle unless you have nothing else as you can expect the referee will be calling you on them. Is it fair? Perhaps not but life is not always fair.

I will grant you the physics call is a factor in youth where a large immovable object contacts a much lighter mass especially in safety. A loud irritated parent does make younger inexperienced referees cringe. Plus a collision of unequal sized objects is viewed very closely in regards to how safe is it? How forceful is it? Kids flying are unusual unless they are like magicians like Chris Angel or are on the sky dive team.

You need to weigh the pros and cons of going to ground to strip a ball away. One leg in, no sweep of the trail leg, no studs, the correct speed and force where the player will fall over you leg or jump over you and be seen by a referee with good foul recognition and a good angle of view to see the proficiency by your technique and restraint by the way you do not indiscriminately go in as a bowling ball knocking down pins. Getting to a ball first certainly helps decrease the possibility of a foul it does not rule them out!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

When an opponent goes flying, you probably need to re-evaluate your tackling technique. The point of a tackle is to strip the ball away from your opponent, not to send him tumbling.

Size differences should be taken into consideration when players are fairly charging, attempting to play the ball. The laws of physics tell us that a larger body has more momentum, and that energy is not lost. The smaller body will bounce farther than the larger one. That's not an offense of the Laws of the Game if the charge was properly made - shoulder to shoulder as near as possible given the size difference of the players, and without excessive force.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

The way you describe this makes me think that you've had this happen to you more than once. If that is true, perhaps you should take a look at yourself and how you're tackling. Perhaps you're committing fouls and misconduct. Perhaps you don't even know what that is or that you're doing it, but if you do happen to be truly earning your yellow cards then I think you ought to learn how to play within the rules quickly. If you fail to adapt how you play, I think you'll find yourself on the bench due to suspensions. Also, if you have any aspirations of playing in college, one thing I can tell you is that coaches HATE discipline cases and if you end up with a bad rep, you might find the door to a college team quickly close.

So my advice to you would be to find a new way to play that is within the laws so you don't get these unwanted yellow cards and I bet it will make you a better player in the end too.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If the kid goes flying there's a really GOOD chance you have done something wrong. Did you keep your feet and legs down? Did you follow through after getting the ball and then get the opponent?

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

So you are telling us if you slide tackle a kid your own size, they don't go flying as well? I see that as unlikely, as a "clean" tackle takes all ball and no player. As my colleagues have noted, your lack of technique may need examining. Slide tackles can be beautiful, but they are more often ugly, clumsy and very dangerous, which is why referees with any salt are watching carefully when such contact occurs. You may have gotten off lightly with a caution, young sir, and I would advise you to be more careful. Tackles that contact the opponent before the ball are offenses punishable with a direct free kick or penalty kick. So are tackles that trip or kick the other player. Any of those done with too much force will also earn you a misconduct of either red or yellow. Think about whether you wish to be tackled in such a fashion.

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